IICA introduces CDB-funded project to benefit small agricultural operators

THE INTER-AMERICAN INSTITUTE for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), introduced the AgriMSE Business Development and Regional Market Integration Project during a virtual event held on March 11, 2026. This project is funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and is designed to strengthen the competitiveness, operational efficiency and market access of Agricultural Micro and Small Enterprises (AgriMSEs) in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago, a March 27,2026 IICA release states. In opening the event, representative of the IICA delegation in Trinidad and Tobago Diana Francis underscored the importance of strengthening AgriMSEs as key drivers of agricultural value chains, rural livelihoods and food security.

Francis emphasized that integrating AgrMSEs into the economy and markets required strong and continuous partnerships among regional institutions, development partners, the private sector, and most importantly, the consumers. The engagement and support from distribution, marketing and logistics firms will also be critical to ensure that products from the AgriMSE sector can be successfully moved within domestic markets and to markets across the region and abroad.

While the initiative is being implemented through three specialized consultancy streams designed to deliver targeted technical support to participating enterprises, IICA will ensure team integration and coordination and provide technical backstopping, stakeholder outreach and engagement support.

These consultancy streams include EconoTech Ltd., leading on AgriMSEs business and production operational efficiencies for scale-up and market access; Jai Rampersad, leading on intra-regional marketing and export facilitation; and GBest Consulting, leading on AgriMSE credit worthiness, readiness and financing accessibility. Working inclusively with national entities, these work streams are expected to improve enterprise performance, enhance export readiness and facilitate greater access to financing and investment opportunities for AgriMSEs in the participating countries, the release states.

Complementary initiatives funded by the European Union were also presented by Janet Lawrence, Agricultural Health, Food Safety and Quality Specialist for the Caribbean at IICA, Barbados.

Lawrence noted that the European Union has been a longstanding partner in supporting agricultural development in the Caribbean, providing funding for projects addressing sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues and related capacity building initiatives across the region for more than a decade. She highlighted that the EU projects complement the IICA-CDB project and will support stakeholders across the wider Caribbean region. These initiatives will provide additional resources

to support not only AgriMSEs themselves but also policymakers and institutions responsible for strengthening the enabling environment necessary for agricultural enterprises to thrive. The EU projects also focus on areas such as agricultural health, food safety, quality assurance and regulatory frameworks, all of which are essential to enabling AgriMSEs to compete effectively in regional and international markets.

Chief Executive Officer and Technical Director of the CARICOM Private Sector Organization (CPSO, Patrick Antoine, also addressed participants and emphasized the importance of stronger collaboration between small agricultural enterprises and larger regional firms to address common constraints related to scale, logistics and processing. He shared that the CPSO is establishing a Regional Agribusiness Working Group which will support the continuation of the project’s objectives beyond the life of the consultancy.

“The intention behind the Regional Agribusiness Working Group is to bring together the experience, networks and technical capabilities of larger regional enterprises to directly support the growth of AgriMSEs. Through collaboration in areas such as shared processing, logistics and packaging, we can help smaller enterprises overcome scale constraints and position themselves more effectively for regional and even international markets,” Antoine said.

The participation and support of distribution, marketing, and logistics companies will also be essential to ensure that AgriMSE products can be successfully marketed in domestic markets, as well as in regional and international markets.

Speaking on the growing engagement between Caribbean and African private sectors, Antoine went further to share that the African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) recently increased its investment commitment to the Caribbean from US$3 billion to US$5 billion, signaling expanded financing opportunities for regional enterprises. He noted that the Working Group will allow the CPSO to leverage partnerships such as these, alongside tools like the Regional AgriMSE Database being developed under the project, providing targeted support to enterprises beyond the project’s lifespan while contributing to the CARICOM 25 by 2025 plus 5 food security agenda.

The AgriMSE Business Development and Regional Market Integration Project will be implemented over an 18–24-month period and will engage agricultural enterprises in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago through diagnostic assess programmes and market development initiatives. According to an AgriMSE participant, the introductory session was interesting and provided hope and an extra sense of purpose, offering a combination of all the things that AgriMSEs have been asking for in one place.

Francis emphasized “This has to be seen as more than just a project. While it is similar to several past and possibly future projects, it is overpoweringly focused on ensuring that agri-food products from micro and small agribusinesses (AgriMSEs) meet the quality and price competitive requirements to enter and establish presence in domestic and export markets.” She further stated that the project

also intends to strengthen the base for continued organized and collaborative engagement in support of AgriMSEs through the IICA-CPSO partnership and other like-minded collaborators.

AgriMSEs interested in participating in the project, including those who may have missed the launch session, are encouraged to contact the project team to ensure they are included on the mailing list for upcoming project activities at agrimse.exchange@iica.int.